Brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy treatment for various cancers, such as gynecological cancer (e.g., cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer), for example. By applying various types of radiation to cancerous regions, cancerous cells are eliminated. To perform this kind of treatment, typically a physical applicator, which receives a radiation source for delivering radiation, is positioned adjacent to the cancerous tumor. For gynecological cancer, this involves inserting an applicator into the vagina to apply radiation treatment to gynecologic tumors. Additional radiation sources may be applied inside a cancerous tumor. Compared to external beam radiation therapies, locating the source of radiation in close proximity to the treatment site allows for targeted and efficient treatment of tumors, while limiting radiation dose to healthy tissue.
Applicators of existing systems include tubes embedded in basic shaped end pieces. The embedded tubes guide radiation sources to treatment locations. The tubes and end pieces may be shaped to provide specific radiation patterns to match treatment needs. For example, existing applicators include single-tube circular applicators and dual tube applicators.
Further, current systems for providing internal brachytherapy treatment have one or more limitations. Applicators often include many complex and small parts, which are difficult to assemble and maneuver. For example, fine, miniature screws are tedious to align and properly torque. The multitude of parts further complicates the use of the brachytherapy device after a treatment is performed, as the parts must be sterilized for subsequent uses. Keeping track of a swarm of small parts for sterilization adds a layer of complexity to the post-treatment process.
Accordingly, with conventional internal brachytherapy applicators, the user experience and efficiency of use may be degraded because the device is cumbersome and tedious to assemble and operate. Moreover, conventional applicators are difficult to maintain because the numerous parts are difficult to efficiently sterilize for subsequent uses. Therefore, there is a need for improved applicator assemblies.